Factory reset problems

Hi I have an Acer Aspire 5536 which I purchased in 2009/10, which was windows vista. I purchased an upgrade disc and uploaded windows 7. After 2/3 years I had some issues and carried out a factory reset, which went ok. A couple years I had running issues so I took the computer to a specialist where the laptop was cleaned, a factory reset done and re-uploaded to windows 7. I now have some more strange things happening so I decided to factory reset the laptop. I followed the process of rebooting, pressing F8 and followed the process until I came to system recovery options - Choose a recovery tool. All 5 recovery tools are there except the 6th, recovery management, which I need for factory reset. The last tool on my computer is command prompt but my research tells me the recovery management is below my command prompt. Where the is recovery management?. After more research I found out that I can access Acer recovery management by pressing start, all programs and Acer recovery should be in the menu. I can't find this either. Its as though all access to recovery management has been deleted. Can anyone please assist. I would appreciate your help.

Regards

Grigster

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philetus

Type eRecovery in Windows search. Also look in Start/All Programs/ Acer.

If that doesn't work, go to Disk Management and post a screen shot of it.

Grigster

Hi I have typed eRecovery in windows search and eRecovery cannot be found. I have also done start/all

programmes, but there is no Acer. I have posted a screenshot of Disk management as you requested.

Disk Management.PNG

philetus

You do not have any recovery partitions. Someone at some time deleted the partitions or formatted the HDD.

to factory reset the computer, you need to go here and put in the serial number and buy the Recovery disks ffrom Acer, if they are still available.

https://store.acer.com/en-us/extended/recovery/

Otherwise, install Windows from a disk and enjoy your laptop.

Grigster

I have got 2 recovery discs, which I made when I purchased the computer. I have attempted to run the first disc, thinking it would take me through the process automatically, but it when I run it it just lists the files on the disc and does not autoplay. Any thoughts please?.

philetus

You have to have the disk in the optical drive and boot from it.

Grigster

I did as you suggested, put the disc in the drive, switched the computer off and rebooted, but unfortunately it did'nt work. When I switched on the computer everything started up as normal ie the computer went to my login password then to the desktop. One thing I did was to open up the disc, on my computer, and there was a list of 10 files. One of them said RECOVER7. I opened this and it said the file was ACER RECOVERY MANAGEMENT. I thought, brilliant, so I continued through the process. The process took me to COMPLETE RESTORE FOR FACTORY RESET. It then came up with the following message:-

FAIL to format Disk 0 partition 1

I then pressed ok, and it went back to the beginning of Acer Recovery Management, which is to select a language.

Can you please assist once again?

philetus

Either your disks are not right or your optical drive is not first boot device. Go in the bios and set the optical drive to be first boot device. You can also tap Fn+F-12 at boot and see if the boot menu is enabled. If not, it will be on the MAIN bios tab, if you have it.

You can also download and burn a Windows 8.1 disk for using Diskpart to "clean" the HDD.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media

Grigster

I went to the bios and set the optical drive to be first boot and switched off the computer. I loaded my 1st Acer recovery disc and everything seemed to be going according to plan. Acer recovery management came up. I went through the process and selected acer factory reset. Files seemed to be loading the a message appeared:-

FAIL to copy file to HDD.

File: E:\Images\WOP0001204E2TC0121.SWM

The only option you have is to press ok. I did this and the whole precess started again. I pressed ok and the same thing happened again. It seems to be on a continuous loop. I then decided to remove the disc, during part of the process, and I then re-configured the bios back to where it was originally and see if the computer would start up and take me back to my desktop. Unfortnately this did not work. The following message came up when I switched on the computer on:-

BOOTMGR is missing

Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart

I did this and the same message came up again. I can't get rid of the message. I never got as far as burning the 8.1 disc for using Diskpart. Any more thoughts, again, please.